House of Shadows
by Kindlehope
Summary: A Halloween story including Yugi and friends and others. Rumors say the House of Shadows is haunted. On Halloween, Yugi and friends go to explore it. Is this a rumor, or is it true? When they see ghosts, they start to believe the rumor is true. No yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Here it is! I had a lot of fun making this, so I hope you enjoy it. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters; I do, however, own the character Saraya and any other characters you have never heard of. So don't copy them! (If you do, I'll send my evil Yami after you, hee hee hee.)

If you see any spelling/grammatical errors, please tell me so I can correct them.

Please rate and review! ^_^

"Yeah!" Joey cheered, doing a fist pump as his character beat Yugi's and Tristan's. "I win!"

Yugi groaned. They were playing Super Smash Brothers Melee. Joey, playing as Mario, had just creamed Yugi's Link and Tristan's Samus. Yugi played Duel Monsters better than Joey; Joey played video games better than Yugi.

Joey glanced at the doorway leading to the game shop. "Where the heck is Téa?" he huffed. "I'm sick of waiting."

As if on cue, Téa opened the Game Shop door, which sang a sharp note from a bell attached, and entered the room.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted, not seeming to realize that she had kept them waiting. "Ready to go?"

It was Halloween night, but they weren't dressed up. They were all wearing normal clothes: Tea jeans with a black tunic and an orange, unzipped jacket, obviously celebrating Halloween; Joey a black shirt with his blue Domino High jacket; Tristan a brown, warm-looking cotton shirt with a half-zipped brown jacket and jeans; Yugi, his favorite snug, dark jeans with an ash-gray shirt and a black jacket. While some tenth-graders like them were being childish and trick-or-treating, the four of them had elected to wander around Domino City and hang out instead.

Joey hadn't taken his eyes off the video game, and now playing as Roy, was in adventure mode, facing the boss. "Yeah, let's go. Just hold on a few minutes…" He rapidly pressed buttons, his game character madly attacking with his sword.

Yugi reached over and pushed the POWER button on the GameCube. The screen went blank.

"NOOOOOO!" Joey yelled loudly, like someone whose girlfriend just died. "I was just about to _win_!"

"Come on, Joey, you can play some other time. Tonight is _Halloween_. Let's go."

With a scowl, Joey rose. "Fine," he grumped.

Yugi led the way, guiding his friends out the door, locking it with a key. His grandfather was away on business, and he was in charge of the store.

In a slightly better mood, Joey suggested, "Let's go to the ice cream parlor. I'm in the mood for some food."


	2. Chapter 2

Later, the four of them entered the ice cream parlor. Only two seconds after going in, Téa spotted two people sitting at a booth and ran over. "Hey, guys!"

Her call summoned Ryou and Saraya's attention. She stopped by them, smiling. Ryou was eating a bowl of mint chocolate chip, while Saraya seemed to be enjoying her pumpkin ice cream.

"Oh, hello there, Téa," Ryou said with his British accent. He was wearing a black jacket with a white shirt and light wash jeans.

"Hi, Téa!" Saraya Johansen chirped. She was a close friend of Téa's, and was very well acquainted with Yugi, Joey, and Tristan as well. Ryou was one of her best friends; they had been friends in London when they were young, and had both ended up in Domino years later. Saraya, unlike Ryou, had not been born in England, and did not share his accent. She was wearing a warm black acrylic sweater with super-dark jeans.

"What are you two doing here?" Yugi asked, he and his friends approaching by Téa.

Saraya shrugged. "We met up in Domino Square and came here."

"Date!" Joey whispered to Tristan, who snickered.

Saraya, with her hawk-like ears, heard. "Shut up, Joey. Haven't you been seeing Mai lately?" She glared at him. Besides, she didn't like Ryou as anything more than a friend.

He glared back, but said nothing.

"_Anyway_," Saraya continued, "What are _you_ guys doing?"

Téa answered. "Just wandering around.

Saraya smiled innocently. "Mind if we tag along?"

"Not at all," Yugi replied. "But first of all, Joey will _die_ if we don't get some ice cream first."

Yugi and his friends walked up to the counter. Yugi got a simple chocolate, and Téa strawberry. Joey and Tristan, however, were ordering some massive triple-flavored chocolate-and-hot-fudge-sauced double banana split things.

"This is on me, guys," Yugi told them, handing the cashier some money, and leading the three of them with their ice cream to a table by Ryou's and Saraya's booth. Not even bothering to talk, Joey and Tristan eagerly dug in to the gigantic desserts while Yugi and Téa actually took the time to converse.

After they had all finished, including Joey and Tristan, who ate their monstrosities remarkably fast, the six high school kids banded and headed out the doors.

"So what should we do now?" Tristan asked no one in particular.

Joey brightened. "I've got a great idea! There's some abandoned house out on the plains that's supposedly haunted. We should go explore it!" The timing was great; it was about 9:15 p.m. The icy air had settled with the darkness, blanketing the city in cold shadow. The orange glow of the full harvest moon bathed the sky in chilling light.

"I'm game!" Saraya replied automatically.

"You want to go explore a _haunted_ house?" Ryou queried.

Her face was full of mischief. "Yeah! Totally! It'll be awesome!"

"If some of us are going, all of us are going," Yugi put in. He grinned. "Lead the way, Joey."

* * *

**Me: okay! I know, another short chapter. . But I promise the next one will be very long! I already have it written, I just need to type it up, so it will come in soon. Sorry that you had to go through two chapters just to get to the haunted house part, but since you made it, here! gives cookie* Please keep reading and please R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3

"We've been walking for _hours_," Téa complained, dragging herself behind the rest of them. "My legs are so _tired_…"

"Chill, Téa, it's only been fifteen minutes," Joey said, totally cool. "And there it is! See?"

They were at the edge of a stretch of tawny hills of dry grass. About half a mile away was an old house. Even from a distance, the mansion looked run down and like it had been neglected for around ten years. Joey continued leading the way toward the abandoned home.

As they walked, Saraya talked energetically to Yugi.

"Have you ever been around an abandoned building before, Yugi?"

He laughed. "Uh, no. Most people don't."

She smiled. "Well, I can't wait, to say the least! I love creepy stuff!"

Téa was talking to Ryou about her lack of belief that ghosts existed. Joey and Tristan, for reasons unknown, were debating which was tastier: Oriental of Mexican food.

It wasn't long before the six kids stood outside the house by the porch.

_This place is awesome!_ Joey thought.

_Why me?_ Téa thought, gulping.

_Haunted, eh? _Ryou thought. _That's what __**every**__ abandoned house claims to be. This one's like every other one. A fake._

_Uh, this is sort of big, _Yugi thought nervously.

Saraya was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. _Yay! Yay! __**Yay**__! _She was so excited she raced ahead of the group and leaped onto the porch. "Quit the suspense, you guys!" she laughed. "I can't stand it!"

Joey noticed the rude way Saraya jumped up the steps. "Careful, Saraya," he warned teasingly. "You're dissing the _ghosts_."

She laughed. "Whatever." She went up to the door, the other five behind her. She tried the doorknob. Unlocked, it swung inward, revealing the dark corridors of the house.

They stepped into a large, open room. There was a large, exquisitely marked door straight ahead with brass swirls. Two staircases curved over it, connecting at the top to a banister-lined hallway.

"This looks even creepier than I expected," Joey commented, sounding pleased.

"And look at that door," Saraya nearly whispered in awe. She stepped to it and grabbed the brass doorknob.

She turned around with a puzzled expression after jiggling the knob. "It's locked," she announced. "Why would it be locked?"

"I dunno," Joey said, shrugging. "Let's go check the upstairs." They slowly ascended, making sure the stairs were firm. They seemed in good condition—a little creaky, however.

Once at the top, there was a long hallway with many doors. Behind them, they could see all of the downstairs.

"Let's split up," Saraya suggested with a wry smile. "That way, it will be creepier."

Joey paired up with Téa and Tristan with Ryou, so Ryou wouldn't have to be with a girl. Yugi turned to Saraya.

"Partners?" he asked.

"Yep!" she answered with a smile. "Come on!" She hurried off, leaving him no choice but to follow. He found her in one room in the long row of doors.

The room was lit only by the moonlight streaming in a window. The light illuminated little specks of dust floating in the air. The faded navy-quilted bed was small; it looked like a child's bed. At the end of it was a small toy chest. Saraya stepped toward it, and, kneeling down, opened it. Inside were bright, childish toys—dolls, stuffed animals, and puzzles. The colorful toys seemed strange amidst the dark shades of the room.

"Poor girl," Saraya murmured. "Leaving all her toys behind…"

Yugi went to the window and looked out.

"_Hello_," Saraya heard a cute, innocent voice say.

Saraya raised her head and looked around. No one but Yugi was around, and he hadn't said anything. She returned to digging through the chest.

"_Why are you playing with my toys?_" someone asked.

Saraya looked up and froze.

Standing right next to her was a young girl, maybe seven years old. She had shoulder-length blonde locks, spiraling in a way like a doll's. She was wearing a knee-length sky-blue dress with slightly puffy sleeves, with a pink ribbon tied around her waist and a bow in the back. She held her hands in front of her. On her feet were little pink sneakers. She was smiling, and her eyes were such a bright green that she looked in every way just like a beautifully crafted life-size doll. There was only one thing wrong, though. She seemed to be transparent.

"_No one has been here in seven years_," she said. "_It gets awfully boring. I'm always alone._"

Saraya unconsciously touched the Shadow Amulet strung around her neck. It was larger than most amulets, and different. It was gold. At its base, two well-made snakes curled around each other, around the rod, spiraling upward to the cross section, where their heads stood out and curled toward the intersection, and their two gold upper fangs bit a deep black gem. Their eyes were red rubies, but somehow glinted black at times. The artifact was so symmetrical and had such precise craftsmanship that it seemed impossible for a human to make. She had been told by a man named Shaadi that in ancient times, it had been an amulet given to a pharaoh by the great goddess Isis, the goddess of vision, who could see what others could not. Ever since the day she had gotten the Amulet, Saraya had been able to see what no one else could—or should. She was instantly blaming the sighting of this ghostly girl on it.

"Are…are you a ghost?" Saraya whispered. Yugi never heard her, nor did he turn around.

"_Yes. Nothing new there._"

True, Saraya had a strange connection with the deceased. True, none of this was new to her. True, it had happened before. And, true, it still freaked her out.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in heaven?"

Her smile faded. "_No_," she answered sadly. "_My family and I aren't really dead yet. We aren't alive, either. We're somewhere in-between. I guess you could say we're undead—not living, but living, too._"

"I—I'm sorry."

"_It's okay._" Her spirits lifted a little as she gazed around the room. With a small smile, she explained, "_This was my room. I had so much fun in here._"

"If you don't mind, may I ask how you died?"

She turned back to Saraya. Her eyes grew hard. "_The Duel Spirits_," she replied ominously.

* * *

**Me: Okay! So i realize that was a long chapter! But long is better than short. They are FINALLY in the House of Shadows, after 2 chapters.**

**Saraya is not the main character, so if you don't like her, don't worry. She just plays an important role at times, since at the moment, she is the only one who can see the spirits that live in the house. There will be different main characters in different chapters. Next chapter: Yugi and Yami Yugi.**

**Hopefully this will keep you reading: there are scary things that will happen soon, plus a half-Duel Spirit, half-human werewolf! (Hope that interested you.)**

**Please rate and review! And thanks for reading!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Yugi turned around to face Saraya. "Let's move on, Saraya."

He didn't seem to see the little girl.

"Hold on, I need to put these toys away," Saraya said, glad she could use the scattered toys as an excuse.

"Do you want me to help?"

Saraya faked an adorable smile. "Naw, it'll only take a minute."

"Okay, then. Come into the room to the left of this one when you're done." He left, leaving Saraya alone with the ghost girl.

Turning her attention back to her, Saraya continued the conversation.

"Duel Spirits?" she echoed. "Like Duel Monsters?"

"_I don't know."_

Saraya took her deck of Duel Monsters cards from her jeans. She held one card, Magician of Black Chaos, up for her to see. "Like this?"

"_NO!_" she screamed. "_That's __**him**__! Take it away!_"

Saraya put her hand down. "What's wrong?"

She looked absolutely terrified. "_He's the one who haunted __**me**__._" She took a shaky breath. "_He haunted me back when I was completely alive. I think my brother sent him after me. It was only for two days. Then he killed me._"

"Your brother?"

She nodded. "_Ever since he was young, there was something wrong with him. He seemed to like everything evil. He secretly hated my family and me. So seven years ago on this night, he performed what he called a 'ritual.' Every year on this night, it's when it's easiest to contact spirits. He somehow got some Duel Spirits to come here. They stayed around for two days until they did what they were supposed to._"

"What's your brother's name?" Saraya asked.

"Seth."

"Oh—excuse me. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Saraya Johansen."

"Hello, Saraya. I'm Cindy." She knelt down and began to collect her toys. Though she looked as if she were no more than a projection, she was able to touch them, and set them in the toy chest. Saraya was watching.

"Cindy, I know it's a weird question, but…may I touch you?"

She blinked. "Yes." She held out an arm to her. Saraya reached out her fingers and felt.

The skin was unnaturally cold, making Saraya shiver. She ran her hand slowly through Cindy's arm. Her hand passed through as if the arm was nothing more than water, leaving behind a touch of cold over Saraya's hand.

"Wow," she breathed. She was feeling a ghost's form of airy matter. "Does this hurt you?"

Cindy shook her head. "Not at all."

Saraya took her hand away, still fascinated by the feeling she had just experienced.

"You know, Cindy said, "I can't sleep. I really miss that. I love dreaming." She sighed. "The last dream I had was about Seth. In it, he had been a nice big brother. We had been sitting right here, and he was teaching me how to play chess." She smiled, her gaze growing distant as she stared past Saraya. "Of course, the real Seth would never do that," she added. "My mother didn't know how to play, so she couldn't teach me." She stood. "But I've talked too much, and you need to go and find your friend." She turned and began to walk. "Bye bye, Saraya!" She faded like mist in early light and was no more.

Saraya rushed into the room on the right. "Sorry, Yugi! I got distracted."

He was standing by an oak desk with one of its drawers open and looked up. "It's fine," he replied, then turned back to the desk. "Come here, Saraya."

She went over to him. "What?"

He tilted his head at something on the desk. It looked like a journal with thick, parchment-like sheets. It didn't have any lines, but the writing on it was straight and graceful.

Saraya gazed around the room. It was neat and tidy, with not a single thing out of place. There was a deep purple-quilted bed, a window, and drawings on the wall held by tacks. Closely observing them, she realized that they were mostly wolves. One that was done better than the others stood out. It was shadowed, unlike the others. The wolf was black as night, with purple eyes with a hint of crimson. It was in a face-to-face position, crouching as if it were about to pounce. It had a red scar a foot long slashing down its right front leg, leaving a line of no fur. Around its neck was a string of silver chains. Clamped around its right paw was a silver cuff like the ones put on captured, and then released, animals. The wolf had a long, unusually bushy ragged tail.

"Look at this journal entry," Yugi said, drawing Saraya's attention back. "It's dated October 28, 2010. That was only a few days ago."

"But this house has been abandoned for seven years," Saraya pointed out.

Yugi nodded and began to read.

"_It was a terrible feeling, knowing that I was part of their family now. I realized I had no choice but to have agreed to serve the Shadow King. I hated his doings from the start. And to imagine that the same blood runs through our veins! I despise that fact._

_So far, my attempts to make him realize what he is doing is wrong have failed. He has fallen far, but I hope to still be able to retrieve him. If only I had been able to before now._

_I fear that I am falling in the same way. Ever since I became the monster I now am last year, I have become dark in a smiliar way as my king. I still have an amount of good in me, but that light is quickly fading. Every day I am more influenced by the other half of me. I dearly hope that if I am destined to fall to the darkness that I may save the king before that day comes._"

Yugi finished and fingered through the journal as Saraya once again observed the living space. On the desk were scattered papers. She picked up one. It was written in a language Saraya could not understand.

She put the paper back down and saw the edge of something beneath the papers. She unearthed it and saw that it was a picture. A family of five posed in straight positions. There was the mother and father in the back. The moth had unusual bright green eyes and blonde, wavy hair that fell to her waist. The father had messy black hair. There were three children in front of them. In the middle was a boy, maybe ten, with his father's black hair and dark blue eyes. On the left was a girl, who Saraya recognized as Cindy, the little ghost girl, who only looked to about six. On the right was a girl, maybe eight, with rather long, smooth ash-gray hair and violet eyes. She had a radiant face. It almost looked as if she was glowing.

If it was Cindy's family, then Saraya guessed that the boy was her brother, Seth. Looking at him, smiling, wearing brown like the rest of the family, it was almost hard to believe what Cindy had said about him.

"This journal goes back all the way to 2003," Yugi remarked, making Saraya snap out of her thoughts. "The first entry talks about her family dying." He looked around the room. "The latest is only a few days old. And look at this room, how clean it is. It's like there isn't a single speck of dust in here. Do you think someone is living here?"

"I don't know." Saraya asked for the journal, which Yugi handed to her. She pawed through the pages until a phrase on one page caught her eye. _The brass doorknob_, it said.

Saraya read the whole thing to herself. It was short.

Every time I grab the brass doorknob, my hopes arise once more. I hope that I will be able to free my king from the dark mist that surrounds him. Failure after failure, and yet, for some reason, I still hope. Maybe I will die before I ever free him. If only he had experienced more love during his childhood…

Saraya gasped as she made the connection. "Brass doorknob!" she cried, racing from the room, leaving the journal behind.

* * *

**Me: okay, I know that this chapter was boring, but it is important information that will set up the next few chapters. Plus, I know I promised that this chapter would be from Yugi and Yami Yugi's views, but I realized it wouldn't work. Most of the next one, however, will be from their views, and this time I MEAN it. And, I hope that those journal entries sounded vague to you guys, too, because they were supposed to. They don't even know whose journal it is, which is also important! Please R&R and thanks for reading! :3**


	5. Chapter 5

"Saraya! Wait!" Yugi ran after her. "What do you mean?"

She stopped, letting him catch up. "Sorry, Yugi," she apologized. "But we need to find the others. That brass door downstairs, well, we need to get in it. I'll explain later. Just follow me." Confused, Yugi pursued her to one door. She opened it, showing a storage room full of boxes, and, against one wall, a staircase leading up.

"I think Joey and Téa went in this one," Saraya told Yugi. "Come on." She got on the flight of stairs, taking two steps at a time.

"Téa, Joey!" Yugi called as they reached the top. "Are you here?" Then he spotted them. They were in one corner, trapped by something that strangely, in every way, resembled the Duel Monster Jinzo. At Yugi's call, the see-through monster turned to face them.

Yugi jumped, fear crossing his face. "What the heck kind of a hologram is _that_?" He looked quickly over at Joey and realized that his best friend was scratched in several spots on his face and arms, standing protectively in front of Téa, holding a steel rod.

"How the heck we supposed to get rid of this one, Yug?" Joey asked. "Steel bars obviously don't work."

"I know how," Saraya answered for him. Yugi looked over at her. She inhaled deeply, then yelled loudly, "Cindy!"

Yugi didn't have time to figure out what she meant before a little girl stepped from the air in front of Saraya with a pale green wolf beside her. She looked back at Saraya and nodded.

"Silver Fang, attack!" the girl ordered. The red-clawed wolf leaped at the Jinzo with a fierce growl. Jinzo seemed afraid and fled down into the deeper shadows. The spirit Silver Fang chased after it, barking.

Cindy exhaled. "Hopefully Fang chases that Jinzo back into the other world." She turned around to face Saraya. "One rule of this house: _never_ go into the attic."

She smirked. "We'll try and remember that, thanks."

Cindy looked up at Yugi. "And what's your name?"

"Uh, Yugi."

She smiled. "Hi, Yugi." She then looked to Joey and Téa. "And you?"

"Joey," the boy offered.

"Téa."

Yugi closely studied the girl named Cindy. She was adorable, like a doll, with her innocent seven-year-old face. And yet, something just didn't seem right. He then saw. She looked like a ghost! Before he could question her, he heard two pairs of footsteps from the stairs and glanced back.

"What's wrong?" Tristan asked.

"We heard someone scream," Ryou put in. "It took us forever to find..." He trailed off, eyeing Cindy, who stood facing him. "Cindy? Is that you?"

Saraya turned to him. "How do _you_ know Cindy?"

"I don't. But I believe I met her mother earlier."

"Hold on, hold on," Yugi cut in. "Cindy, are you a _ghost_?"

"Yes," she stated, as if this was normal.

"And Saraya, you've seen her before now?"

She nodded. "Back when I was going through that toy chest."

"So this place _is_ haunted," Téa breathed.

"Aren't you supposed to be all creepy?" Joey asked Cindy.

"What?"

"Ghosts that haunt places are supposed to be scary and evil."

"Well, in that case, the 'ghosts' you're talking about are the Duel Spirits."

Joey put a hand on his head with a frustrated expression. "This girl is confusing me."

Cindy laughed, then said goodbye, and vanished.

Once she was gone, Saraya bolted for the stairs again.

Yugi groaned. "Come on, guys, she's really fired up over something." He ran after her.

They found her back downstairs. She looked back, and then walked to her left into a kitchen. Yugi followed close behind with Joey, Tristan, Téa, and Ryou.

"What are you looking for, Saraya?" Yugi asked.

"I'm seeing if someone really _does_ live here," she explained, opening a cabinet. The inside was stocked with food. Grabbing a box of unopened cereal, she searched for the expiration date by moonlight. She shifted herself closer to Yugi and pointed to it. "Look. It says 'Best if used by November 15, 2010." She looked at him. "Cereal doesn't last for seven years. This was recently bought. This food is new, not seven years old. Someone _is_ living here." She suddenly felt like avoiding the room the brass door hid.

Yugi was thinking this over when he heard a wind behind him. "Who's there?" he demanded, spinning around. The air had chilled in an instant; the room suddenly felt cold and breezy.

"What's up, Yug?" Joey asked.

"I heard something," Yugi explained, his skin crawling, along with a sense of uneasiness. The darkness suddenly felt dangerous, rather than how it had only added to the experience of the haunted house earlier.

"I didn't hear anything," Saraya half-whispered, puzzled. "Are you sure?"

"M-maybe it was just my imagination."

Saraya set the cereal on the counter. "Come on, guys, let's go get into that brass-decorated door's room."

They nodded. Saraya took upon herself the role of excitedly running ahead and impatiently waiting for the rest of them. Once everyone was behind her, she took the doorknob in hand. She slowly turned it.

"Guys," she whispered. "It's unlocked."

* * *

**Me: This was a BORING chapter. I'm so so so so sorry to you, cyclonzgirl, because I promised I would update this last night! If you're reading this, cyclonzgirl, I'M SORRY. Anyway, there's that cliffhanger. I really need to finish this before Halloween. Readers, wish me luck, and please R&R!**


	6. Chapter 6

Saraya sort of winced as she realized the knob was completely turned. She pushed it away from her. Unlike the other doors in the house, it swung open quietly. Yugi stepped in after her and took in his surroundings.

The carpeting was a deep red. A long, brighter, thin red carpet led up to a large gray stone altar with unusual markings. Other than that, the room was empty, but in front of the altar knelt a girl with her back to them. She opened her violet eyes.

"I didn't know anyone was here tonight." Her voice was mildly kind, but mostly level. She bent her head a little, as if trying to hide something around her face. "How long have you been here?"

"Uh...around an hour," Yugi answered. "Who are you?"

She raised her head. "My name is Aristaela."

"Aristaela, we're sorry we intruded," Yugi apologized. "We didn't know anyone lived here. We came here just to explore."

"It's fine."

Lined up along the two sides of the altar were tall candles, providing a minimal amount of light. There seemed to be white light on the altar in front of her, though…

Although he didn't dare move—this girl didn't seem trustworthy—Yugi asked, "What are you doing?"

"Summoning spirits."

Saraya, slightly behind Yugi, gasped. "D-Duel Spirits?"

"Yes," Aristaela answered in the same, cold, even voice. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you. Even if they tried, I would stop them." Her voice softened. "Trust me. Now stay quiet, and allow me to explain."

She fell silent, and Aristaela began.

"Every year on this night, the veil between our world and the spirit world is thin, and can even be lifted. I am one of the people in this world that can control the outcome of this night. The spirits from the other life must be released two times every year. I am in charge of freeing them on this night. You call it Halloween, but I know it as Samhain, which has been celebrated much longer than Halloween. Samhain is a night dedicated to the deceased. However, I am in charge of the Duel Spirits alone. If I do not grant them freedom this night, they will go back to the way they once were—haunters of this house. Since you may have already met one in this house, you are most likely scared, but I will tell you this: _Though the shadows seem haunted by the ghosts of the dark, there is one last hope, the one with the Mark. Free the House of Shadows from the evil it contains, and bring to an end the house's pains_." She stood, careful to keep her body tight and still as she turned to face them.

She had long violet hair with dark gray streaks, with bangs barely swept away from her right eye. Her eyes were a beautiful amethyst, like Yugi's. She was wearing tight black jeans with a purple short-sleeved shirt and purple, non-heeled leather boots with only a sole on bottom, with purple accessory gloves going a little past her wrist with a ruffled hem. Based on their fabric, they looked like they provided little warmth. Over the right-hand glove was a silver cuff, like one on an animal.

_How is she not cold?_ Yugi wondered. He then forgot that when he saw something.

Placed on top of her head were two black ears, those of a dog's. Barely visible was a black tail with ash-gray and violet streaks through it behind her, stretching to the bend of her knees.

"Look at those ears, dude!" Tristan exclaimed quietly to Joey. "And that tail!"

Joey slapped his shoulder. "Get in the real world, dude. It's Halloween. She's been tick-or-treating."

Though a normal person wouldn't be able to hear that from the distance between them, Aristaela smiled at him and explained, "No, I haven't been trick-or-treating since I was eight. But I did go to a party earlier, and that is why I am dressed up."

"You haven't been trick-or-treating since you were _eight_?" Joey echoed, incredulous. "How old are you, Aristaela?"

"I'm fourteen."

Yugi scanned her completely with his eyes, like he was searching for something. The only unusual things he saw was the thick silver bracelet around her right wrist and a long red scar above that, ending at the middle between her wrist and elbow. Unless it was the latest trend, there was one last thing—black chains around her neck. The scar and semi-gothic attitude made her seem a whole lot older than fourteen.

"Now, then, I must return to the ritual. I'll ask that you leave now."

"Uh, come on guys," Yugi suggested. "Let's go back to my house."

"I am simply asking you to leave the room," Aristaela pointed out. "By all means, stay and explore the house."

"Th-thanks, Aristaela, but we have to go."

"As you wish. But Saraya, dear, I believe you have lost an earring."

Saraya instantly reached up to touch her right ear, with the absence of her silver crescent moon, while on her left ear, the silver star remained intact. "Oh, crap," she hissed. "That thing is new!"

Aristaela's purple eyes gazed softly at hers. "When did you last have it, honey?"

She narrowed her eyes, thinking. "In the upstairs. I'll go find it. Thank you. Bye." She turned on her heel and left.

"She probably shouldn't go alone," Yugi reasoned, watching her go out the door. "Um, bye, Aristaela." He turned and left along with his friends.

Aristaela glared after them. Her eyes glowed a bloody red.


	7. Chapter 7

"Okay," Saraya told them. "I lost it somewhere between the attic and the kitchen. Let' split up and look."

"Yeah? Well I'm not going anywhere near that attic," Joey replied firmly.

"None of us are going in the attic," Yugi decided. "It's apparently way too dangerous up there."

Téa nodded. "Agreed. I'll go look _outside_ the attic."

"I'll check the stairs," Joey offered.

"I'll check out here in the foyer," Tristan said.

Yugi raised his hand like a schoolboy, smiling. "I'll look in the kitchen."

"Great. I'll look down here with Tristan since it's so big." Saraya smiled. "Thanks, guys. But if we don't find it soon, we'll leave."

They all nodded and separated. Yugi went into the kitchen. He searched the counter, the floor, the sink, and even wandered around a little in the opening of the house where Tristan and Saraya were. He found nothing.

_How on earth are we supposed to find an earring in this gigantic house?_ Yugi wondered.

Aristaela set three cards on the altar. They glistened a starry white, as well as the arch on the wall in front of her. It was large, set right in center on the wall, curving a graceful U. It wasn't nearly as tall as the wall. The indent in its center glowed the same color. Aristaela whispered an incantation in a language other than that of humans.

_Shirar ker haes cher _(Arise from your sleep)

_Nil tor shan aes kré _( Listen to my call)

_Moray haes fital ësh tor creh_ (With your final oath to keep)

_Rach tor haes cahs belan amistaraly _( Return to your world before moonfall)

_Bracklar, diaha tames! _(Awaken, Duel Spirits!)

Three ghostly shapes stepped from the lit arch and bowed to her.

She immediately ordered, "Blue, go to the Hall of Reflections. Ninja, go upstairs and find that brunette girl." She turned to the last one with an evil hint of crimson in her amethyst eyes, complete with a cruel smirk. "And you, Chaos," she nearly purred. "You know what to do once you find Cindy." He nodded. All three of them slipped past her. She watched Blue Eyes White Dragon, Armed Ninja, and Magician of Black Chaos leave.

"Good luck, you three," she cooed as they all went straight through the door, Blue Eyes flying through. Then the coo turned into an ugly snarl. "Destroy them all!"

A dark shape sprang down from the eaves in the ceiling. A gloved hand slapped over Téa's mouth before she knew what was happening. With a swift punch, he knocked her out, tying her hands and feet together with rope. Throwing her limp body over his shoulder, he ran with inhuman speed away from the staircase before Joey turned around, entering one room and jumping through a wall of glass, shattering the window as he fell.

Meanwhile, Yugi, Tristan, and Saraya were still searching the house, having heard nothing. Saraya had found a thin, barely noticeable hall that was few feet long, leading to a plain wooden door. Curious, she opened it. She knew it didn't have anything to do with her earring, but ignoring that fact, she stepped inside, leaving it open to provide light. She stood in a closet, which was empty except for a door in the ground. _A trapdoor?_

She carefully lifted it by its handle, expecting to be unpleasantly greeted by a rush of rancid air, but instead smelled fresh air, with a hint of flowers. She looked down in. There was misty light, and an ample amount. There were no stairs. Too inquisitive too ignore this, she leaped down, landing like a cat on the slightly damp ground steadily on her feet. There was a long tunnel stretching out above her. The vaporous light came from an unknown source. Lining the tunnel was tall mirrors, some cracked, some in good condition.


	8. Chapter 8

The mirrors reflected her every move in their faces. Saraya was wondering why the mirrors were there and where the light was coming from when she heard a slow creak behind her. She spun around as the trapdoor slammed shut. She ran back to it and tried to jump to open it, but realized she couldn't reach it. _You idiot! _she chided herself. _You shouldn't have come down here! _She looked around for something to step on or boost her up, but there was nothing except for herself and the mirrors. Deciding it was her only hope, she started down the corridor of mirrors, praying that there was, somewhere, a light at the end of the tunnel.

"_No!_" Cindy yelled. "_Stay back! Leave me alone!_"

The Magician of Black Chaos ignored her and took a few menacing steps toward her from the doorway. She was sitting on her bed, but now stood on it.

"_**No**__!_" she repeated again, this time louder. "_You already killed me! What more do you want?_"

"I want your help," he answered in a wise, powerful, dark, and threatening voice all at the same time. He stood next to her. "I know you have a dark side, Cindy. It was born from the anger and hatred you felt when you learned that you weren't allowed a state of rest like your father, who died in a more natural way, in a car accident. You were infuriated even more when you learned what your brother had become." He paused. "I can unlock that dark side."

He moved over to her and whispered in her ear, "_Shirar, shél kroture fo clamé tret_!" (Arise, dark creature of the night!)

A shudder passed through Cindy as she screamed, the bloodcurling sound echoing off the walls.

Joey stood from where he was searching on the stairs as he heard the scream. His blood turned to ice as he felt a small prick of fear go through him.

"Did you hear that, man?" Tristan asked, who had come up behind him on the stairs.

"Yeah," he answered. "Let's go see if anyone is hurt!"

They rushed to the second floor, but stopped dead in the hall as someone walked out of one doorway. He was dressed in black and pink, with a huge, odd headdress and a long staff. He looked at them with ice blue eyes and smirked.

"Eee!" Joey screed. "What the heck? Is that…?"

"I think it is!" Tristan whispered, sharing Joey's thoughts. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Uh, I don't know?" Joey sounded just as confused as Tristan. He glanced down at the Duel Disk that was often on his arm. He pulled a card from his deck, which resided in his pocket, and slapped it on the activated Duel Disk. "Alright! Red Eyes Black Dragon, come forth!"

"You sure this will work, Joey?" Tristan asked as the gigantic black dragon came into sight with a battle cry.

"No clue." Joey quickly put another card on his Duel Disk. "Dragon Nails, power up my Red Eyes by six-hundred attack points!"

Red Eyes roared as the metal claws attached to his front feet, now giving him a total of three-thousand attack points, stronger than the Magician of Black Chaos.

"Red Eyes, attack! Molten Fireball!"

The dragon built up the fire in his throat and released it toward Magician of Black Chaos. The mage, however, leaped up in the air and dodged it, then went straight at Red Eyes, slashing through its chest with his rod. The dragon cried and broke into thousands of tiny pieces of light.

Magician of Black Chaos lowered back onto the ground with a humorless laugh. "You think you can defeat me? Your Red Eyes Black Dragon was nothing but a hologram, while I am real! Furthermore, I have gained extra strength from the soul I have turned dark only minutes ago! I am unstoppable!" With an evil glare to his eyes, he held out his staff. "Be now prisoners of the great Shadow King!"

The last thing Joey and Tristan saw was the attack before they were sent away.

Yugi was in a square room adjoining the kitchen. The room he was in was completely empty. There wasn't a single piece of furnishing, not even a light, but the moonlight from the kitchen provided a small amount of natural light for him. He knew that Saraya hadn't gone in here, but he figured that the earring might have been kicked on accident into the area, so had checked it out.

He had earlier heard the scream of a girl, but had ignored it, although he had become more alert. The scream didn't belong to either of the girls along with he and his group, and he figured it was just another weird sound in the house. But only minutes later, he heard the familiar roar of Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon.

He stood, listening for more, instantly serious. "Joey!" he yelled for a reply, and started forward in a run. He didn't get very far. He had been in a corner of the room, but as he stepped near the center, he heard a loud crack. The floorboards beneath him gave way. He tried to jump away from the cave-in, but couldn't. He screamed, which was quiet because of his sudden shock. He fell through, plummeting into a dark abyss as the center completely fell away, leaving a yawning hole behind.


	9. Chapter 9

Mid-fall, Yugi's Millennium Puzzle flashed gold in the darkness, and the pharaoh took control of Yugi's body, flipping and landing exceptionally well on cold dirt ground, something Yugi probably couldn't have done. He stood, unfazed by the fall, and looked around. The walls were also made of dirt, with wooden braces above him for support. Torches lined the walls. The tunnel smelled musty, but not abandoned, and went to the right. It was fairly wide and tall.

_Thanks, Pharaoh_, he heard Yugi shakily say as Yami Yugi began to walk down the tunnel, looking for a way out. The hole above was far away, and there was no chance he could reach it. The slightly damp ground silenced his footsteps as he made his way forward through the passageway.

_What is this place?_ Yami thought as he walked further away from the landing spot. He hadn't gone far when to his left he saw what appeared to be cells like those in a jail. Peering down into one, he saw that it was empty. Continuing on his way, he looked in every one. They were evenly spaced, close together. It wasn't until the fifth one that he saw someone slumped over, facing him, with chains around his left leg, which were attached to the wall. The person's head was bent, and he didn't look up.

Yami cleared his throat to get the man's attention. "What is this place?" he asked.

The man raised his head. His ice blue eyes brightened a little. He was wearing purple robes and an unusual hat. He was a Duel Spirit, but unlike Cindy and other ghosts, he looked to be of flesh and bone.

"Master!" he cried, seeing Yami standing there. "Why are you here?"

"I could say the same for you," Yami replied, looking at the Dark Magician.

"You have given me strength, my king." Dark Magician stood, his chains pooling around him. "No one else could do this for me. Thank you." He held a palm down toward his chains. "Dark Magic Attack!"

The purple sphere of light came in contact with the links and they broke as easily as intertwined twigs. He stood, free of his shackles, and went over to the barred door to look his king in the eyes.

"You are the only reason my magic came back," he said. "Without you, I have been trapped for two days in this cell."

"That's horrible!"

He nodded. "My pharaoh, you should not be here. It is much too dangerous for you."

"I didn't really have a choice."

"If I can get out of here, Pharaoh, then I will protect you." He pointed a finger at the lock on the barred door. His eyes shone a pale blue, and the lock clicked. The door swung inward on itself, freeing the magician.

"I can find a way out of here with you, master," Dark Magician told him. "Just stay close to me. There are guards down here that we have to watch out for."

"Ow," Téa groaned, rubbing her head. "Where am I?"

She looked around her. She was in jail cell with a hard concrete floor and a lone bench. It was lit by one torch.

"Hey, hurry up!" a gruff voice said outside the barred door. "No funny business!"

"I'm not _doing_ any funny business, pal," a voice protested.

Téa sat up from where she had been lying on the floor. She recognized that voice...

She heard the hard smack of skin against skin and the protestant voice whimpered.

"You okay, man?" another voice asked the hurt one.

"Fine. Thanks, bro."

"C'mon. Here's your cell. Hope you like it!" the guard finished in mock kindness. Téa stood as a key was put in the lock and two teenage boys were pushed in.

The blond one growled. "No locking door is gonna keep me trapped, blockhead!" he yelled as the guard—which resembled the Magician of Black Chaos—left.

"Hey, Joey, is that you?" Téa whispered.

Joey looked surprised. "Téa! Oh my gosh! You were dragged here too?"

"Yeah. You okay? You got slapped, right?"

He rubbed his red cheek. "Yeah, it hurt pretty bad." A mask of fury covered his features. "As soon as I get out of here, I'll slug that guy so hard he'll be staggering around her for another year!"

"Cool it, Joey. From the looks of things, we're not gonna get out of here," Tristan pointed out.

"Do either of you know where Yugi is?" Téa asked.

Joey shook his head. "Last thing I knew, he was in the kitchen."

"Where do you guys think we are?" Téa asked.

"No clue!" Joey and Tristan answered in unison.

Téa went over to the steel door, looking out the bars. _Wherever we are, I hope you find us, Yugi._

Saraya had only gone a few paces when she got an itching feeling under her skin, usually a sign of something being wrong about a certain thing, but she ignored it and pressed on. About a minute later, she heard a loud and recognizable roar. It was that of a Blue Eyes White Dragon.

_Where did that come from?_

She glanced at a mirror to her left and barely refrained from screaming. Gazing back at her was a white-blue dragon. Instantly she looked over her shoulder, seeing if one was behind her and reflecting in the mirror. Nothing was there. She turned back to the reflection with a shiver.

_Is that thing trapped in the mirror?_

It once again bellowed. Saraya caught a glimpse of blue light in the back of its throat. _Shoot! White Lightning!_ She barely dove out of the way as the blue orb was released. She landed hard on her side. The mirrors that had been behind her were cracked. She met eyes with the dragon and glared at it. Its throat emitted a low growl.

_How on earth am I supposed to get rid of this thing?_

"Cindy! Help me!" she screamed.

There was no response, no ghost, no sound. It was just the dragon and her.

"Stop, Blue Eyes," a voice ordered, reverberating off the glass. Saraya looked around; no one was in sight.

"H-hello?"

"If anyone will defeat her, it will be me!" the same shadowy voice shrieked. "Be gone, Blue Eyes!"

The dragon snarled at her, and then its essence in the mirror faded from sight. Only a few seconds later, it was replaced by the quintessence of a boy. He looked to be about seventeen years of age, with black, untamed hair and dark blue eyes.

"Trapped, are you, little girl?" he sneered. "I'll grant you freedom if you defeat me in a duel."

She was at a loss of words. "I—uh—I'm not sure—"

He huffed. "You want out, do you not?"

She stiffened. "Of course."

"Then bring it on."

She glowered at him with her teal eyes. "Fine, then." She awakened the Duel Disk on her left arm. It had been given to her as a birthday present a few months earlier. Inserting her duel deck, she observed the boy. He was wearing all black and a dark gray cape. With the black jeans and tee shirt, he looked like any other teen, but the cape threw all that away. A crown of wrought black iron coiled around his head like a snake prepared to attack.

_Is this dude really serious with that lame outfit?_ She smiled. With fake innocence, she told him, "You know, I've battled a lot in my lifetime, and not once have I lost. Do you honestly think you'll be much different?"

"Yes, I do," he answered.

She gave him a bored look. "It was a hypothetical question."

He waved the thought away with a brisk gesture of his hand. "Whatever. Let's get on with it."

"Tell me who you are first."

His blue eyes flared angrily that she would even ask the question. "It's amazing some people don't know this by now. My name is Seth, King of the Shadow Kingdom."

* * *

**Me: Okay! Finally! I am trying my hardest to finish this story before the end of today, Halloween, because I am afraid people will lose interest once Halloween is done and gone! I skipped most of church today just to work on this. Wish me luck! I'll try to finish!**


	10. Chapter 10

Aristaela rose, anger crossing her face. _Someone has called off my Blue Eyes White Dragon that I am in control of. It had to be the Shadow King._ Annoyed, she turned on her heel and walked away from her summoning altar. Something inside her heart changed. The darkness left to be replaced by light and a determination of war for a good cause. _Those kids…_she thought distantly. _How could I have ever tried to hurt them? My dark side must be taking me over…_

She quivered at the thought. _Never! I must fight it!_

"Hold on, you three," she murmured, thinking of Joey, Tristan, and Téa. "I'm coming to you first."

"Wait, Seth? Cindy's brother?" Saraya queried.

Seth's eyes glinted. "Yes."

This was the same one who Cindy described as liking everything evil. He was the one who sent the monsters after Cindy and her family. Was he not dead?

He seemed to know her thoughts. "I'm not dead," he informed. "I'm as real as you are."

"You're the monster who killed your family," Saraya accused.

"Yes, I am," he answered nonchalantly. "I had to kill at least one of them to prove my loyalty to the Shadow World. But to prove how great a leader I would be, I killed two of the three."

"And you let Aristaela go."

He nodded. "She pledged her allegiance to me. If one does so, they are bound to their word by life. If she ever betrays me, she will perish like the rest of them." He laughed coldly. "I don't need her death as well, but it would take a weight off my back. She's unbelievably aggravating."

"You shouldn't think about your family like that." Her voice was hard.

"Goodness, you remind me of her. Always preaching about the light and good in this world. Does no one but me realize that there is no such thing as light in this cruel world? Now, then, I'm getting bored. Let's duel before you talk even more."

She agreed with a reluctant nod.

"Let's duel!" they cried together.

Yami and Dark Magician ran into their first guard. It was an Alligator Sword, complete with its deadly weapon. Dark Magician quickly aimed his rod and used his dark magic to destroy it.

"Quickly, Pharaoh!" he rushed. "There will be others here any second now!"

They dashed away from the scene of the Alligator Sword's killing, in which there was nothing now.

"Dark Magician! Do you know where you are going?" Yami spoke between breaths as they ran.

"Yes! Now hurry!"

Yami said nothing, only heightened his speed more as they ran from the dungeons, the guards now behind them, and the dark underground alleyway in general.

Then they saw it in fear. Ahead was a dead end. They skidded to a halt as they turned to face the guards, worried. Yami held gazes with the three guards while his Duel Monster glanced around. He saw a board in the ceiling not made of dirt like the rest. It was manmade.

"Hang on, Pharaoh!" The mage grabbed Yami in his arms and leaped, going up and through the trapdoor.

Both lay on the ground for a few moments, panting, catching their breath. "Thank you, Dark Magician." Yami got to his feet. They were in a forest. _Really? A trapdoor in the woods?_ He shook the thought away. The forest was shrouded in mist with a chill in the air.

"Magician. Where are we?"

Dark Magician also stood. "These are the woods near the house. That tunnel is longer than I thought."

Yami nodded, recalling the forest by the house when Yugi and his friends had first entered the House of Shadows.

The Dark Magician held out a finger and repaired the trapdoor with the use of magic. "There," he sighed. "I'm sorry you're in this mess, my king."

"It's not your fault, Dark Magician. And rather than dwelling on our past choices, let's try and find a way to get to the others."

Aristaela raced through the forest with unusual speed for a human, leaping over fallen trees and puddles. She didn't look back; she didn't have the time. The visitors of the House of Shadows were on the line. Without her, they would surely perish at the hand of the Shadow King. She was their only hope.

She slid to a stop and smelled the air. With her odd sense of smell, she picked out the fragrance of Yugi and the Dark Magician. There was one more thing…she inhaled deeply, tasting the air. Was it…it was! The two of them would be in terrible danger if she didn't get there soon.

"Yugi! Dark Magician!" she called. She sensed their confusion as they scanned the area around them. She broke from the trees, not at all tired from her run, and breathing normally, though her heartbeat had heightened.

Dark Magician spoke first. "Are you here to lock me up again, Aristaela?" he spat hatefully.

"No. Please, listen. I couldn't fight it then, Dark Mage."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Aristaela! What are you doing here? I thought you were in charge of summoning spirits," Yami said.

She looked angry. "I was. I am. I-I'm…" She trailed off. "No. I'm not anymore. It doesn't bring any good to this world. I'm sick of serving the shadows!" she finished powerfully. "I'm done with serving my king and hurting people!"

Yami's voice softened. "Explain, Aristaela."

It all came out of her mouth before she thought about it. "After my brother killed my mom and sister, he offered me partnership with him in return for sparing my life. I took the chance. I hoped that if I lived, I would be able to restore my family with my power. But things didn't go my way. I pledged my allegiance with him for my life's sake. He took me to the summoning room in the house and a Duel Spirit was there. It was some sort of wolf, completely black, with really freaky claws and long fangs. It jumped at me, on top of me, pinning me down. It growled at me, and then…I don't know…it sort of sank into my skin." She shuddered, obviously remembering the occasion clearly. "A minute later, it was completely gone, and I felt different. I picked myself up and realized I had ears and a tail, and had somehow blended with the wolf. It gave its dark nature to me, which began to overpower my good side." She inhaled shakily.

Yami was surprised. "You mean to tell me that those ears and that tail are not costume, but real?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"You're a werewolf?"

She seemed like she despised the word. "Yes."

"Are you the girl in that photo with the gray hair?" Yami asked. He had seen the photograph when Yugi was reading the journal.

She nodded. "And I believe you read my journal?"

"Yes."

"The Shadow King I was talking about was my brother, Seth. He killed my family members so he could become king of that world. He tends to take people hostage and later turn them around to serve his side. He has three of your friends right now. If we don't find them soon, they'll become half Duel Spirits too and forget who they once were if they are not lucky. I was a lucky one, I remembered, but they may not get the same treatment."

Yami gasped. "Which friends does he have?"

She thought. "Joey, Tristan, and Téa, I believe. Your other friends are still in the house, but they'll eventually be found too."

"Are Ryou and Saraya together?"

For some reason, she knew the answer to his question. "No. Saraya is dueling my brother right now. Ryou is in the backyard garden."

"Take me to Joey, Tristan, and Téa, Aristaela."

"Of course," she consented. "Follow me. The gate to the Shadow Lands is further in these woods."

* * *

**Me: Right! I've done a ton of chapters today! Hope it was worth it! I WILL finish this story tonight! I MUST! Wish me luck! Oh, and of course, R&R. :3**


	11. Chapter 11

"I win!" Saraya cheered. "Nice dueling, but I have yet to lose a duel!"

He smiled. "Like I promised, I'll grant you freedom." Then he snarled angrily, "But in the long run, you and your friends will lose against me. You'll all become servants of me, Seth the Shadow King!" His essence in the mirror disappeared with a dark laugh. The mirror he had been in suddenly shattered. The glass flakes fell on the ground, revealing a doorway and, inside, a staircase.

_I'm free!_ That was all she thought as she climbed the stairs and went through another trap door. _That wasn't so hard!_

She stepped out on the grass and inhaled. She was in a garden. It was withered and dry, but she was glad to see something besides mirrors.

Ryou, who was standing a few feet away, looking at the moon, spun around as he heard sound. "Who's there?" he demanded. He relaxed when he saw Saraya. "Oh! Thank goodness! Where were you?"

"In an underground tunnel." She explained to him what happened. "I just got out," she finished.

"Do you happen to know where the others are?" Ryou asked.

She shook her head. "No, sorry. Aren't they inside?"

"No. Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa are all gone. I don't know where they went. I've been looking for them for quite some time. I was hoping they were with you. I thought—"

He broke off as they heard a crack of a twig behind them. They both whirled around to face a red-eyed Cindy and two monsters.

"Cindy? What's wrong?" Saraya questioned.

Cindy stared her straight in the eyes. "_Nothing is wrong. This is who I really am._"

She gasped. "I thought you were our friend!"

She laughed, amused at that remark. "Friends usually betray each other, right?"

Saraya tried to say something, but couldn't.

"Witch of the Black Forest, attack her now! Lady of Faith, attack Ryou!"

Saraya grabbed Ryou's arm. "Come on! Hurry!" They ran away without looking back, straight toward a foggy forest.

Cindy chuckled softly to herself, having her monsters stop. "Go to the forest now and meet them there."

The two monsters obeyed and teleported to the center of the grove. Cindy watched. "Kill them, you two," she hissed after they had left.

"Here's the gate."

Aristaela stood by it. They were standing at the edge of a graveyard—or what used to be a graveyard. Now the cemetery was buried under water. A thin, eerie haze had settled over the sunken burial grounds. Tombstones stuck up like sharp rocks off an island's beach.

"You call _that_ a gate?" Dark Magician sounded a little annoyed.

"Yes. I'll show you." She held her hands out to Yami, who was on her right, and Dark Magician, who was on her left. "We have to hold hands, or it won't work."

The two took her hands. She walked toward the water.

"Are we going _in_ the water?" Yami asked, confused.

"Yes. Brace yourselves. Now dive!"

All while holding hands, the three dove together off land and into the water. The cold hit them like a brick.

Yami held his breath. He could feel the cold sting of the water, but he didn't feel it seep through his clothes. Somehow, his clothes were dry amidst all the wet.

He felt Aristaela separate her hand from his. He thought he saw her breathe in deeply, even underwater, and she chanted a spell in an ancient language. Afterward, she swam toward the surface of the water, her black, purple and gray streaked tail waving after her. Yami was running out of air, and followed with his monster. Their heads broke above the water. Yami and Dark Magician both gasped for air and stepped out. The water had left them cold, but they were completely dry.

"What happened?" Yami asked.

"We passed into the Shadow Kingdom. Come. I have a plan to rescue your friends, but you'll need to listen to everything I say."

Yami hesitated following her. "How do we know we can trust you, Aristaela?"

She flipped her purple hair behind her shoulders and looked back with slightly wet eyes. "Because I'm your only hope of getting your friends out of danger."

Yami hated the answer. All the "only hope" stuff didn't really give him a choice of what to do.

"I'm following her, master," Dark Magician remarked. "If she tries anything, I'll protect you."

Reassured, Yami followed her across the grasslands in which the pond lay.

It took them around a half hour to reach the castle. It was surrounded by iron gates. Keeping a distance, Aristaela turned to her comrades. She grabbed something from thin air, which formed into two pairs of handcuffs.

"If we expect to get in the castle, you will have to act as my prisoners. I'll then gain access to the dungeons, and we'll have a chance at freeing your friends."

Yami and Dark Magician reluctantly let her snap the handcuffs around their wrists.

"Now stay close to me, and don't say anything." She led the two to the gates. Two guards stood watch, but recognizing her, smiled. One greeted, "Hello, Aristaela! You got yourself a good batch of prisoners."

"Thank you," she replied crisply. "Please open the gates. I am in a rush."

"Of course, my lady." They stood aside and the tall gates opened inward. Aristaela, Yami, and Dark Magician passed them. Weaving expertly through the castle, past guards and locked doors, Aristaela guided them to the dungeons below ground. Standing by one, Aristaela whispered, "You three! Shhh! Stay quiet, and follow what I do." She took a key she had in her pocket and unlocked the door. Pushing it out of the way, she got Joey, Tristan, and Téa to come out. Téa gasped when she saw Yami.

"Yugi! You're here!"

"Hey, Yug, call me crazy, but I think that's the Dark Magician," Joey laughed.

"Yes. He's on our side. Don't worry."

Tristan noticed their handcuffs. "Why are you all locked up? Aristaela, I've about had it with you!"

She ignored him and threw another pair of manacles at him. "Put that in. I'm going to get you free." She threw two more at Joey and Téa. They shot her mistrusting glares, but obeyed.

"I hope she isn't leading us to our dooms," Joey whispered to Yami as they followed her out of the dungeons.

Aristaela made her way to the front gate once more.

"Hold on there, Aris," a guard huffed. There were two different ones from before. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Her reply was cold. "I am in charge of taking prisoners to the summoning room to blend them with Duel Spirits. Have you forgotten that little detail, Arzor?"

"I-I'm not sure if-"

"Under the orders of our king, this must be done frequently. Do you really want to face his wrath if you do not allow me passage?"

"N-no, Aristaela; you may go." The other guard opened the gate and granted her to pass.

"That was easier than I expected," Aristaela commented, but they had only gone a few yards when a voice shouted out behind them.

"I did not order those prisoners to be allowed free!"

Aristaela gasped and turned. Seth stood at the gates with several Duel Spirits behind him, with an evil hint of red in his dark blue eyes. He smirked at them, cunningly planning their demise.


	12. Chapter 12

"Oh no," Aristaela breathed. She took another key from her pocket and quickly unlocked each of her friends' handcuffs. "Quick! Run while you can!"

"We're not leaving you!" Yami insisted.

"I'm not going to say this again. _Go_." She said the last word threateningly. A low growl rumbled in her throat. "I have the ability to fight. You don't." She leaped forward like an animal and a black light surrounded her body, making the outline of her form impossible to see. The light filled each of their vision. They heard a snap of bones, a whimper, and a snarl as they were blinded. Then they felt something land heavily on the ground in front of them as the black light faded and their vision returned.

Standing in front of them was a jet-black wolf with purple and gray streaks through her tail and down her back. On her right leg the cuff remained, along with the long red scar. Black chains were around her neck like a collar. Yami stared in awe as the wolf finished its change, its claws growing long and sharp, and the violet eyes taking on a hint of red.

"_Go!_" the full-wolf form of Aristaela snarled. "You don't belong in this fight!"

"But you're way outnumbered!" Joey pointed out.

"Not really." Shining shapes surrounded her; there was a spirit Ryu-Ran, Zombie Dragon, Thousand Dragon, three Harpie Ladies, several Kuribohs, a Serpent Night Dragon, a Mystical Elf, Sayaru, and many different imp monsters, plus monsters Yami had never seen before.

"Warriors of the Shadow Lands! Attack that traitor now! Charge!"

Aristaela glanced back at them. "Leave!" When they didn't move she huffed, "Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress, take them all away!"

The blue dragon snatched the four of them in each clawed feet and flew away, still holding on to them. They gazed down on Aristaela, Dark Magician, and the rest of her army versus Seth's army.

The Guardian of the Fortress was holding on to Joey by the back of his jacket. Joey set a card on his Duel Disk while they were being carried away. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, come forth!"

"What are you doing, Joey?" Yami asked hardly.

"This world isn't like ours. I bet we can summon real monsters here." To prove his point, Red Eyes Black Dragon formed in the air below him, flying along under the Guardian Dragon.

Joey punched the blue leg of the Guardian of the Fortress. It shrieked in surprise and let go of him. Joey fell only to land on his Red Eyes below.

Yami took his lead. "Silver Fang, Summoned Skull, and Kuriboh Brothers! Join them in battle!" They all formed on the ground below as he laid their cards on his Duel Disk. "And at last, Curse of Dragon! Take your place in the skies!" The serpent dragon emerged below. Yami too hit the Guardian Dragon's leg and fell on top of his dragon. "Tristan! Téa! Do the same!"

"But we don't have anything to catch us! We don't even have Duel Disks!" Téa objected.

"You will! Trust me! Just think _real_ hard about what you want to appear!"

Téa closed her eyes in concentration, freed herself from the dragon's grasp, and only slightly cried as she fell into the arms of Dark Witch.

Tristan did the same and fell onto the back of Fire-Winged Pegasus, whose burning wings against his black fur didn't burn him. The Pegasus cantered around in the air.

"Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!" Yami yelled upward at it. "You're my monster! Now obey me! Attack the enemy!"

The blue dragon flew at the opposing team.

Yami looked at all his friends around him with their flying beasts. "Let's go!" he shouted above the battle cries below.

"You're lucky I got us into here," he growled at Saraya, approaching the battlefield.

"You are such a jerk," she hissed at Bakura, the spirit of the Millennium Ring. "I hate you for controlling Ryou, and I hate your attitude. But since you and I have a deal, I'll put up with you for now." Saraya, whose parents' souls were locked away in the Shadow Realm, had encouraged her to make a deal with Bakura that if she helped him get the Millennium Items, that he would free her parents, but not until he got what he wanted.

"If it weren't for me, Ryou would be dead by now," Bakura pointed out. "Come on. We should get over to battle." They hurried closer.

"I saw what Joey did, so I hope this works!" Saraya lay three cards on her Duel Disk. "Amethyst Dragon, Emerald Dragon, and Sapphire Dragon, come forth! Join battle!"

Three dragons appeared in front of them. They all had the same thin build as Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon, but had their differences. Amethyst Dragon had black scales of diamond with amethysts set into the diamond armor, along with elaborate designs of dark purple along her body. Her face had two horns at the top and two at the sides, on the jawbones, curving downward. Her tail had three blood-red barbs sticking out of it, along with two pricks on each muscular leg. Her wings were wide, with black bony outlines and dark purple membranes between. Her eyes glowed dark purple.

Emerald Dragon had leaf-green scales with dark green emeralds set into them. Her long tail ended in a sharp green leaf shape. Her wings were a curtain of layered leaves. She had multiple poisonous dark green thorns around her body.

Sapphire Dragon was a sky-blue dragon with dark blue sapphires set into the hard scales. Her wings were like a Blue Eyes White Dragon, except edged in frost. Her claws were a pale blue color, like ice, and her eyes were a glacier-blue color. Slightly transparent, jagged coats of impenetrable ice armored her legs and tail.

The three dragons took flight and soared toward battle.

"With the power of my Millennium Ring, I summon my Man Eater Bugs!" Uncountable Man Eaters ran for battle, along with Bakura's zombie Duel Monsters. "We should stay back," he told Saraya as she started toward the fight. "It would be wise to save our energy."

She threw him a frustrated glare, but complied, staying behind and watching from a distance.

On the back of his Curse of Dragon, Yami commanded it forward. Every now and then it would maim a Duel Spirit of the enemy team, whipping them with its tail or biting them. Téa on her Dark Witch's back had it destroy several monsters. Tristan rode his Fire-Winged Pegasus as it set things on fire, including the grass, to make the battle hotter and harder to fight. It scorched quite a few monsters to ash. Joey on his Red Eyes Black Dragon was fighting the best of them all, having his dragon fire attacks in giant masses of enemies, taking out many, and slashing at survivors. When the spirits where defeated, they either dissolved or disappeared in a flash of light. In this battle, attack points did not seem to matter—it was their determination that affected who won the bouts.

Aristaela was still fighting. As Seth's army grew small in numbers, she leaped at her brother, pinning him to the ground with a howl. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment.

"Brother, I will not allow you to bring harm upon any other humans in this world or Earth! I shall kill you to bring peace to you and the other Duel Spirits! Goodbye." She raised a paw, slashing it across his chest, and then leaned down with her fangs bared and bit his throat. Blood pooled around them. The former king glared at her before his eyes shut for the last time, and his chest fell, not rising again.

Aristaela stepped off of him with a mournful howl. She had killed her brother. It was for the best, but if he hadn't hated his family so much, he could've been a great person...

Yami, Joey, Tristan, and Téa's Duel Monsters all disappeared. They walked over to their the wolf. Yami knelt down by her and stroked her back in a comforting gesture.

"We're sorry, Aris," he murmured, speaking on behalf of them all.

"He's dead."

The voice came from behind. They all looked back to see Cindy standing there, void of malice and hate.

"You killed him, didn't you, sis?"

She nodded. "I did. It was for the best, Cindy. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Bakura and Saraya walked over. "Nice fighting, Aristaela," Saraya complimented with a small smile. "I'm sorry about your brother."

Yami raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Bakura, recognizing and feeling him, knowing it wasn't Ryou. Bakura shrugged. "Yeah, Pharaoh, I fought on the good side for once. Be happy."

Aristaela recited an enchantment in an undertone, the first for her brother's rest in the afterlife, and the second to take them all back home.

They were outside the House of Shadows on the porch. Aristaela had returned to her half-wolf state in which she looked more normal. Cindy, as a ghost, stood beside her.

"I'm glad you all came tonight," she began. "Without you, I would never have beaten my brother in that battle. It's thanks to you I am not evil anymore."

They all nodded. Everyone but Yami clustered in a group to talk.

"Did you see my Red Eyes take out that Blue Eyes?" Joey bragged.

"Aristaela. I think I know a way I could bring your family back into this world with you."

She brightened with optimism. "Really?"

He nodded. "I believe that my Millennium Puzzle, along with a spell of yours, could be that powerful."

She laughed out of pure joy. "Great! Let's try!"

"Then I'll be helping." Bakura's voice came from behind them. He was still controlling Ryou.

Yami turned to him. "You would do that?"

He smiled a little. "I may not be like you, Pharaoh, but I'm nicer than you think."

"Okay, Aristaela. Do you have a spell in mind we could use?" Yami asked.

"Yes, I do. Please help me." She closed her eyes and began to chant a spell in a soft singing. The words were impossible to make out, but it sounded like an ancient hymn, both beautiful and important. As she sang, the Millennium Puzzle and Millennium Ring glowed a soft gold.

"What the...?" Joey and the rest of them heard. "What're they doing?"

The light brightened. When it cleared after the song, there was a renewed feeling in the air. Four humans stood by Aristaela's side; one was her mother, with her long, wavy blonde hair; another was her father, the victim of the car accident, an older version of Seth; Cindy stood there in the flesh, giggling and smiling; and at last there was Seth. His dark blue eyes, rather than dangerous, were soft and kind. He was freed from the shadows that had once held him bound.

Aristaela began to cry as she hugged each one in turn. "I can't believe it," she whispered, weeping with happiness. "Thank you so much, you two," she said graciously to Yami and Bakura.

They smiled and backed away. Though Aristaela still owned her wolf ears and tail, she knew how to hide them. She could return to her old life, with her family, like it should have been.

"Come on." Yami led Bakura over to his friends. "It's about time we got back to Yugi's house."

He let Yugi have his body back, and Bakura did the same for Ryou. Yugi looked back at Aristaela and her family with a smile and slipped into the dark with his friends to head home.

* * *

**Me: Thank you guys so much for reading! I know, I know, I finished ONE day after Halloween. Grr. Whatever. Hope you liked it! R&R!**


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